Shooting the Moon
by Laura the StorySpider
Summary: Imagine having a beast inside you. Imagine that you don't even know whether you're really human anymore. Imagine that you're Remus J. Lupin. A story of love, friendship, pain and betrayal. Please R&R!
1. Chapter One : Bitten

Chapter One – Bitten

Disclaimer: I own the plot, the whole plot and nothing but the plot.

_Well, I've finally completed the first chapter of _Shooting the Moon (revised)_! I hope you all like it. Please do review, whether you loved it or whether you hated it! Criticisms are very welcome as long as they are constructive. I'd prefer it if you told me what you really thought rather than just saying something nice! Not that I mind if you do have something nice to say… ;o) _

_Anyway… here goes!_

_---_

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry sipped daintily at his tea, apparently unaware of the fact that he had just thrown the lives of three people into an uproar.

"Well," he said, standing up, "I must be going. Thank you so much for the tea. English breakfast, I believe."

The younger man rose as well, staring his uninvited guest in the eye with a brand of pride that comes naturally to those who have little and hate being pitied.

"No, thank _you _for coming," he said politely, shaking the proffered hand. "We will think about what you said."

"Of course. The decision is yours, and," he paused, "Remus'. Do let me know if you will be satisfied with the arrangements! I'll show myself out."

As he walked past, he winked one bright blue eye at the young boy standing in the hallway.

---

"…So you can go to Hogwarts, even though… well, er… despite your condition," finished Jean Lupin with some relief. There was pregnant pause in which the Lupins watched their son nervously.

"Well?" Amélie asked at last, "Do you want to go?"

"I don't know," said Remus, his expression carefully blank. Even so, his mother saw that for a moment before he composed himself, the look in his eyes was that of a desperate animal: lost and half-starved.

Her husband sighed, knowing they would get nothing more out of him.

"You can go then Remus," he said gently. As soon as the boy left the room, his shoulders sagged visibly.

"What are we going to do, Amélie? He won't talk to us."

Amélie crouched down before the man she had married, taking his face in her hands and meeting his despairing gaze. She never lost hope; the word despair simply wasn't in her vocabulary. She smiled, her dark blue eyes regarding him evenly.

"We will send him to Hogwarts," she said in her soft French accent, "and this man Dumbledore will look after him. He is the most powerful wizard in the world."

Jean nodded wearily and leaned forward, burying his hands in her hair and his face in her neck.

"I'm so sorry," he breathed as she slipped her arms around his shoulders, his voice laced with grief. "I should never have married you. It's all my fault, and I can't do anything about it."

"No one can blame a man for what his family does," she said, her voice uncommonly stern as she felt his tears on her neck. "You weren't the only one who participated in our marriage. I was fully aware of what I was doing."

"You're right,' said Jean, and she knew he was smiling. "Remus will go to Hogwarts. And we will have hope."

---

As Remus entered Diagon Alley his keen senses were assaulted by a barrage of sounds, sights and smells. Witches and wizards coursed through the street and in the shops, many of them wearing long, colourful robes and carrying various parcels and objects that were completely different from anything that could be seen in the rest of London. He had not experienced so much noise, bustle and magic for four years.

Jean watched his son carefully as they visited Gringotts Bank and made their way through the various shops, buying robes and equipment. As usual, Remus' face remained devoid of any emotion, except for a flicker of longing in the bookshop. Jean bought him a pile of books, but only ten minutes later he had returned to his normal state of indifference. Frustration welled up bitter as bile within the tired man as he longed desperately to find a way to make his child feel something other than the pain which had changed his life four years ago.

---

Dust filled Remus' lungs as he stepped into a dingy, dimly lit shop. The walls were lined with shelf upon shelf of unmarked rectangular boxes.

"Can I be of some help?" said a voice that sounded as dusty as the room itself.

"Mr Ollivander?" asked Jean. "I am looking for a wand for my son."

The man nodded thoughtfully, stepping closer to examine Remus, as if he were looking for some mark or sign.

"Indeed, Mr …?"

"Lupin," the younger man supplied.

"Aha. Bear with me, I have just the thing..." The strange man retreated and began rooting in a haphazard pile of boxes, humming tunelessly as he worked.

"Hhhmmm, haaaaaa, hhhmmm, here, yes, here it is!" he turned around, tossing aside a box, and handed Remus a dark wooden rod, about a foot long and tapering at one end.

"Yew, 13 inches, and the core," he paused, his dark eyes unreadable, "werewolf hair."

The boy shuddered involuntarily; tightly clutching the wand, and jumping when coloured sparks shot from the end.

Ollivander smiled. "Oh yes," he said, "that's the one. Wave it about a bit."

Remus did as the man said, bringing his arm up and around in a smooth arc. A strange sensation like electricity shot through him and left him reeling; something stirred in the depths of his mind. He felt excited, although he barely recognized the emotion.

Jean saw the look in Remus' wide eyes, and felt a sudden, powerful surge of gratitude and relief. With it came a spark of hope, swelling in his chest despite his best efforts to ignore it. Perhaps he had been wrong all along. Perhaps Hogwarts and magic was the key to his son's future.

---

Platform 9 ¾ materialised rapidly before Remus. Witches, wizards and confused Muggle relatives alike teemed across the platform, pushing laden trolleys and staggering under the weight of large parcels, their voices ringing in his ears.

Lupin tugged his boy gently around to face him and knelt to button up the front of his jacket.

"You don't have to go Rem," he said quietly. "No one is making you."

"I know Dad. But…" he paused. "I think I want to go."

His father nodded mutely, stunned that Remus had voiced an emotion. Standing up, he pushed the trolley over to the train, and clapped his hand down on the child's shoulder, forcing a smile to hide his feelings. He thought of how his wife had said goodbye to their son at the house, embracing him and kissing his forehead, but no such affectionate farewell came naturally to Jean, and Remus didn't seem to expect it.

"Have a good time son, be careful," he said awkwardly, his voice hoarse.

Remus nodded and turned, hauling his trunk after him; the moneybag pinned to the inside of his coat bounced against his chest, oddly comforting. He felt his father's eyes following him, and heard him call "Write to us Remus!" just before he stepped onto the train.

---

Remus sat staring out of the window, his elbow on the narrow arm of the seat, chin cupped in his hand. He had managed to drag the trunk into an empty compartment and push it under the bench he was now perched upon. He had already removed his jacket in favour of his new school robes, and he absently wondered what Hogwarts would be like. Even now he could feel his wand in his pocket, reminding him what he was. He was a wizard.

_And a beast, _muttered a voice in the darkness behind his eyes. _Everyone will recognise you for what you are._

His train of thought was interrupted as the door opened violently, and two boys burst in, turning around to peer out into the corridor from which they had come. They didn't seem to notice that someone was there already, and after glancing at them once, Remus looked away again. He was used to being in the background.

---

When the boys turned to sit down, they saw that one of the seats was occupied already. A smallish boy with ragged golden-brown hair, obviously a first year, was staring out of the window. He seemed surprised when they approached him.

"Hello," said one of the boys, "do you mind if we sit down? All the other carriages were full." Without waiting for a reply he flopped down onto the seat opposite Remus, dark blue eyes sparkling as he grinned. "I'm Sirius, by the way.'

'And I'm James Potter,' smiled the other boy as he sat down. He had coarse black hair, which stuck out from his head untidily, giving him the appearance of someone who had just got out of bed. 'Who are you?'

"I'm Remus Lupin," he replied awkwardly, immediately turning his head to gaze out of the window once more.

Just then the train lurched into motion. They were off!

James was busy trying to work out whether this uncomfortable-looking kid was simple, strange or just rude, when the door to the compartment slid open, and a nervous-looking boy with short sandy hair crept in.

"Um, sorry, can I sit in here?' he asked unhappily, 'only I couldn't find anywhere else…'

He turned out to be called Peter Pettigrew, and he looked even more miserable when a tiny witch came round wielding a little trolley loaded with all kinds of wizard snacks. James and Sirius leaped up to buy something of everything, and Remus, who had something of a sweet-tooth, followed suit shyly.

'My mum's only sending me my pocket money in a few days,' Peter said glumly, 'she thought someone might nick it on the train.'

While Sirius and James were wondering guiltily whether to buy him something, Remus gave Peter a couple of sickles, because it seemed like the natural thing to do. Peter blushed and looked intensely grateful, and the other two felt slightly ashamed of themselves. Remus didn't have the air of someone who was rich, but he had been unhesitatingly generous and had unwittingly sparked curiosity and respect in both the other boys.

Soon they were all feasting on Pumpkin Pasties, Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. Remus realised that they really did come in every flavour when he popped a bright red sweet in his mouth and tasted rare steak. He found himself being inexplicably included in everything. He hadn't had contact with kids his own age or been in a group situation of any kind for so long that he didn't really know how to behave, so he just sat there, quietly absorbing the conversation and speaking only when directly questioned. He learnt a lot as Sirius and James discussed Quidditch and talked about the four houses at Hogwarts. Apparently, different personalities were best suited in particular houses, although they didn't know how the decision was made. James said that he would be mortified if he were sorted into Slytherin House, where he reckoned personal gain (by any means) was considered priority.

'The Slytherins are getting darker and darker, my dad says', he informed them. 'All they care about is getting money and power for themselves.'

Remus noticed that Sirius fell suddenly silent and looked rather flushed, but he was too busy trying to work out which house he would be in to wonder why.


	2. Chapter Two : When Seen by Starlight

**Chapter 2 – When Seen by Starlight**

Disclaimer: I own the plot, the whole plot, and nothing but the plot.

I started writing this story before the Order of the Phoenix came out, and I suppose that it's technically an AU now. I wrote these characters (James, Peter, Sirius, Remus, Severus and Lily) how I thought they would be, and that doesn't quite match the way Harry saw them in Snape's memory. From the beginning I had planned to write them as being cruel to Severus, but I never imagined them being as horrible as J.K made them out to be. So I will continue the way I started, because to me it seems that the characters I am writing would have grown up to be the ones in the book. I hope you can recognise them too.

_Anyway…Onward! Please leave a review to let me know what you think. D_

---

At last the train came to a lurching halt, and Remus followed the three boys out of the carriage and onto a platform, unlit but for the faint glow of the stars. Suddenly the world seemed strange, hostile and unfamiliar; all the sights and sounds were distorted and offensive. Remus had no idea of where he was or what he was doing there, and although he knew his name, he couldn't remember who he was. Then someone in the crowd bumped roughly against him, and with a start he was brought back to reality, only to realise that he couldn't see his travelling companions. Feeling bewildered and disorientated, the werewolf looked up to find an older boy watching him. He was tall and very handsome, in a cold, untouchable way. His hair was an impossibly pale silver-blond, his eyes pale blue, and his skin alabaster. Standing there in the starlight he looked like a statue, his features perfectly sculpted and as hard as marble. He was poised with his arms crossed over his chest and his beautiful mouth twisted into an ugly sneer, cruel eyes sharp and cold as shards of ice. Remus felt like his heart had turned to lead and dropped into the pit of his stomach. He wanted to hide, but he was so cold he couldn't move. He felt physically sick and dizzy. The platform was being consumed by colourless mist, but it wasn't really mist, it was nothingness. All that remained was Remus and the pale, gleaming figure, and the mist was closing in on Remus, it had covered his eyes and was stealing into his lungs, he was going to faint, and a voice in his head was saying _Don't fight it, don't fight, you are dark, you are d_ –

A warm hand seized him by the arm and the mist fell away like water. Sirius' face appeared in front of Remus, and the statue came to life at once, whirling around to be lost in the crowd.

"Come on, or we'll get separated from the other first years!" Sirius urged, pulling his new companion away. Remus followed him willingly and blindly; his consciousness had retreated to the familiar darkness behind his eyes, where it curled up on itself like a wounded animal.

---

The sight of a thousand burning torches reflected in bottomless black water brought Remus to life. He was in a boat with the three boys he had encountered on the train, and before him loomed his future. It was a great castle, magnificent and utterly terrifying. For a moment it seemed to Remus as if it was not a building, but an ancient, powerful creature… something stirred deep within him, he almost identified it –

"Remus! Are you alright?" the words shattered any chance Remus might have had of interpreting what he felt, and the moment was lost.

"I'm fine, thank you," he replied, blinking at James in confusion.

"Okay," said James, his eyes narrowed, "you just looked as if you were about to throw up." Remus shook his head mutely, still looking dazedly at the castle.

'Well, if you do have to hurl, do it over the side of the boat,' said James with a grin, and returned to the conversation concerning the hairy giant of a man who had led them to the boats. But for the remainder of their trip across the lake, James carefully and guardedly observed Remus. There was something about the other boy that was hauntingly familiar, especially when seen by starlight, but the memory lurked stubbornly at the back of his mind and refused to reveal itself.

---

Finally the magical boats reached the shore, and the first years clambered out, craning their necks to look up at the castle. Following the great, booming voice of the enormous man who had met them at the platform, they soon found themselves climbing the grand stone steps that lead to a huge double-door. Their guide, who had by now identified himself as Hagrid, thumped one great fist three times against the studded wood before suddenly blowing out the lantern he had been carrying and plunging them into darkness. Then a crack of light appeared, and the doors swung inwards with a friendly creak. The children poured forward into a spacious entrance hall flooded with soft yellow light and the doors closed behind them. Hagrid had disappeared.

For about a minute the first-years were thrown into nervous, chattering chaos, until a neat, authoritive voice caught their attention.

"I am Professor McGonogall," said the owner of the voice, a stiff-looking young woman dressed in long scarlet robes and a black pointy hat, "Head of Gryffindor House. I teach Transfiguration here at Hogwarts. In a moment I will return to lead you through to the Great Hall, where you will be sorted into your different houses. They are Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Gryffindor, and it is an honour to be selected for any of them. Please make yourselves presentable." With that she turned and left through another huge door, which opened only enough to allow her passage.

There was a buzz of chatter and a flurry of movement as the score or so of children nervously adjusted their robes and flattened their hair, all the while anxiously speculating on what was to come. No one seemed to actually know how students were sorted at Hogwarts, although there were some intimidating stories being passed around. It seemed like an age before Professor McGonogall finally returned.

"Form a line and follow me," she said, "and quietly! The Sorting Ceremony will begin."

---

There was a swish as every head in the Great Hall turned simultaneously to face the arrival of the new students. With his sensitive nose, Remus could smell the anxiety of his peers as they stared in awe at their surroundings.

The teachers sat at a long table at the farthest end of the hall, while the students sat at four larger tables, one for each house. The vast room was lit by countless candles that hung burning in the air and never melted down, and when Remus lifted his eyes further, he saw only open sky where a ceiling should have been. The night sky was cloudless, and the stars glittered coldly in the void. There was no moon to spoil Remus' calm as they followed McGonogall up to the front of the hall, where they stood in a line before the teachers' table, facing away from their professors. McGonogall disappeared to the side for a moment, then returned followed by a small, sour looking man bearing a stool. He put it down between the line of first-years and the house tables before stalking off. The Head of Gryffindor house placed a ragged, floppy, once-black wizard's hat on the stool, then fetched a large scroll from where it lay before Albus Dumbledore on the teachers' desk. The first-years just stared at the hat in stupefied confusion. What was such an unremarkable, scruffy object doing at the Sorting Ceremony in the Great Hall of the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry? Their amazement only increased when a rip near the brim of the hat opened like a mouth, and it began to sing.


	3. Chapter Three : The Sorting Ceremony

Chapter Three – The Sorting Ceremony

_"I may not be that much to see,_

_But I am the Sorting Hat,_

_I can tell where you should be_

_And much, much more than that!_

_Perhaps in Ravenclaw you'll come to live,_

_Where if you're smart they've much to give._

_They prize their learning above the rest,_

_So if seeking knowledge, that's where you're best._

_If wealth and power is what you desire,_

_In Slytherin your thirst you'll sate._

_Gain and profit they inspire,_

_For their ambition indeed is great._

_In Hufflepuff they are good and true,_

_Hard work they do not fear,_

_So if honesty is dear to you,_

_Your place is truly here._

_Brave of heart is Gryffindor;_

_They seem to feel no fear,_

_So if you love good honour,_

_You will find your home is here._

_So come and put me on your head_

_And I'll tell you where to go._

_For I'm Hogwarts Sorting Hat,_

_And I'm smarter than you'll ever know."_

When the remarkable object had finished, McGonogall cleared her throat loudly, causing the enthralled children to start almost guiltily.

"When your name is read out, come forward to sit on the stool and place the hat on your head. You will be sorted in this manner."

There was a pause as she opened the scroll and held it at arm's length before her.

"Abbot, David!" she called. The boy in question walked forward nervously, and picked the hat gingerly off the stool. He lifted it to his head and sat down. There was a moment's silence before the hat yelled out its verdict.

_"HUFFLEPUFF!"_

David got up, removed the hat and trotted off to join the Hufflepuff table.

---

Remus watched Jacob Avery become a Slytherin, and felt a dreadful certainty settle over him like a stifling cloak. _The hat will know. _A strange, quivering nothingness was growing in his belly. _It will see._ He put a hand to his stomach. _Will it tell everybody?_

He remembered what James had said about Slytherin House.

_I am dark, _he thought. _Werewolf means dark. _He could hardly breathe. _The hat will put me in Slytherin._

Cold fingers clutched at his throat.

_What's wrong with me? Am I getting ill?_

He heard Professor McGonogall call out 'Black, Sirius!' but her voice was distant and distorted as if he was deep underwater. Through a wall of grey mist he saw Sirius jog toward the Gryffindor table, and a roar of applause like the sea breaking on rocks greeted the first Gryffindor of the year. Remus looked on numbly as more first years jogged out to join their new tables

_I am dark, I am dark, I am dark…_

'Lupin, Remus!'

At the sound of his own name he walked forward automatically, feeling as if he was in a dream. He sat and placed the hat on his head.

_I am dark, I am dark, I am d –_

_No, you aren't, _whispered a new voice in his head.

I am dark, I am, I am, I'm – 

_The moon isn't dark, little lycanthrope, _insisted the voice. _It is only surrounded by it. _

As if it had heard the hat, the darkness in Remus' mind receded.

Where will you put me, then? 

_Certainly not Slytherin! I've never seen a mind with so few ambitions. And you have too many secrets for Hufflepuff… But you are clever; you could be in Ravenclaw. Or Gryffindor…_

_But I'm not brave, _Remus pointed out.

_Why would you think that? You're the bravest person in the castle._

_'Gryffindor!' _roared the hat without waiting for a reply. Remus snatched it from his head, and then he was walking quickly to the Gryffindor table. He was completely overwhelmed by the welcome he received; he couldn't remember ever getting so much attention in his whole life. People were grinning at him and patting him heartily on the back, saying things like 'Well done Lupin!' and 'I knew you were a Gryffindor as soon as I saw you!'

Sirius grabbed his arm and pulled Remus down to sit next to him.

'Boy, I'm relieved you're in Gryffindor! I hope James will be too, we could have loads of fun together!'

Remus murmured his baffled agreement, wondering if he had missed something. This boy seemed to be assuming that they would be friends. Was he expecting something from Remus? Perhaps Sirius thought he was rich, or that he was clever. Maybe he wanted Remus to do his homework for him? He didn't have much time to wonder though, because in between sortings, the other first years were introducing themselves. As well as Sirius and Remus, Sophie Brommel, Isobel Dwinn, Lily Evans and Frank Longbottom had already been sorted into Gryffindor, and Kieran Patil, Peter Pettigrew, James Potter, Sarah Reed and Alice Sandwell soon joined them. Sirius seemed delighted when James joined them, but surprised by Peter's arrival. He was positively glowing by the time Sarah, who was very pretty, had sat down at the end of the table.

---

When all the first years had been sorted into their new houses, the wizard that Remus recognised as Albus Dumbledore stood up at the teachers' table. Silence immediately fell in the Great Hall.

'Welcome to Hogwarts! I hope that those of you who are returning to life here find it at least as pleasing as ever you did, and that those of you who are new to it find it more pleasing than anything else you have ever encountered!

'I have just a few important things to tell you, and then you may forget everything I have said and get stuck into the feast:

'First, the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to _all _students.

'Second, a new tree has been planted on the grounds. It is a rare and rather dangerous species, the Whomping Willow, and I ask you all to steer clear of it, for your own safety.

'Thirdly, no magic is to be done in the corridors, and duelling is prohibited. If you wish to see a full list of things you mustn't do, just ask Argus Filch the caretaker.

'Fourthly, that is all! Thank you for listening, and I hope you all have a wonderful year. Merlin's blessing on the meal!'

At these last words, countless gold and silver dishes piled high with every single type of food imaginable suddenly appeared on the tables. They all started loading up their solid gold plates with food and splashing pumpkin juice into their goblets, and for a good half an hour no one spoke, unless it was to ask for something, with their mouth full.

---

'Remus Lupin?'

Someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and saw a redheaded youth with a 'Head Boy' badge pinned to the front of his robes.

'Yes?'

'I'm Arthur Weasley,' he said, 'come with me please.'

Abandoning his bowl of banoffee pie, Remus got up, oblivious to the puzzled looks his new classmates threw at him as he followed Weasley out of the Great Hall.

The Head Boy explained that Dumbledore wished to talk to Remus, and led him high up into the castle through a maze of corridors and up countless staircases. Remus automatically memorised the route without even having to try.

Finally they arrived at the entrance to a tower, and Weasley murmured a password to the gargoyle that guarded it. Remus heard it, and memorised that too. The gargoyle sprang aside, revealing a stone spiral staircase.

'I'll wait here and take you to the common room when you're done,' said Weasley kindly, 'it's almost impossible not to get lost in this place!'

---

The door at the top of the staircase swung open as Remus reached it.

'Come in, dear boy,' called Dumbledore cheerfully, 'come in and sit down!'

Remus perched on the edge of a huge armchair and looked at his hands, which lay curled in his lap.

'Well Mr Lupin, I trust you are well? I thought I would just take a moment of your time to remind you of the arrangements we have made for you.

'The Whomping Willow has been planted successfully, and I feel quite sure it will guard the entrance to the tunnel satisfactorily. Rumours have also been planted successfully, in the village of Hogsmeade. They are very reliable, as I started them myself,' his eyes twinkled mischievously, 'and they should deal with any _unusual _noisesat full moon.'

He paused, his smile fading as he regarded the silent boy.

'Remus, you are not the wolf,' he said quietly and seriously, 'you are afflicted by it, but it is not you. Do not forget that you are as normal and as worthy a person as any of the other students at Hogwarts.'

Remus looked up and met the wizard's gaze evenly. The expression in his queer eyes was unfathomable, and Dumbledore surprised himself by looking away after a moment. When he looked back a split second later, Remus was already staring down at his hands again.

'Very well, Lupin, you may go. As your head of house Professor McGonogall will escort you to the shack on the day of the full moon. Go to her office at the beginning of the lunch hour while everyone is in the Great Hall, and you should not be observed as you cross the grounds.'

'Thank you, Headmaster,' said Remus, and rose to go.

'Remus, if you have any problems, do not hesitate to bring them to me or to Professor McGonogall. We would be happy to help you in any way we could.'

'Thank you, Headmaster,' nodded Remus.

When the boy had gone, Dumbledore sank back into his chair, feeling slightly shaken. Never before had he felt that he had completely failed to understand someone.

---

Weasley came to a halt in front of the portrait of a rather fat woman dressed in pink. She beamed down at the Head Boy, looking proud.

'Welcome back Arthur!' she said warmly. 'Congratulations on making Head Boy! I had a feeling you would. Password?'

'Thanks! Banoffee pie.'

The portrait swung forward revealing a door in the wall, and closed itself when the two boys had walked through into a large but cosy room decorated in red and gold. A fire roared cheerfully on the great stone hearth, and a few people were still sitting around on the armchairs and sofas, chatting quietly.

'Well Lupin, this is the Gryffindor common room. The password at the moment is 'banoffee pie,' but it gets changed roughly once a week. You'll be told when it changes. Don't worry if you have questions about anything, just ask me or one of the prefects. I suggest you get off to bed now, classes start at nine tomorrow. The boy's dormitories are through that door there,' he pointed to a door with a very lifelike picture of a lion painted on it, 'you're in Dorm One. Your trunk is already there. Sleep well!'

Remus nodded his thanks and made his way to the dormitory, where the other first-year boys were sitting on their beds chatting.

'Hey Remus!' Sirius grinned in welcome, 'Where'd the Head Boy take you?'

'You're not in trouble _already _are you?' laughed James.

'No, I'm not. The Headmaster just wanted to talk to me,' explained Remus, moving to the empty bed by the window where his trunk lay.

'About what?' asked Sirius curiously.

'He wanted to tell me some things.'

'About what?' persisted Sirius.

'About the school,' said Remus truthfully as he began to unpack his trunk.

The others seemed to accept that this was all they were going to get out of him, and one by one they changed into the pyjamas and got into bed. When all his things were stowed away in the cabinet and his trunk was under the bed, Remus climbed into the four-poster, drew the hangings around him and undressed. He slid under the duvet and lay still, staring up into the darkness until sleep came slowly and quietly to close his eyes.


End file.
